In an internal letter to the Federal Network Agency, Deutsche Bahn informed about the planned route cancellations, reports “Spiegel”. According to this, the following routes are to be canceled from next year:
- Norddeich Mole – Münster – Dortmund – Siegen – Frankfurt (Intercity line 34)
- Gera – Weimar – Erfurt – Gotha – Kassel – Dortmund – Cologne (Intercity line 51)
- Karlsruhe – Stuttgart – Aalen – Crailsheim – Nuremberg – Leipzig (Intercity line 61)
The federal states of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony and Thuringia are affected.
That is why Deutsche Bahn is cancelling important IC routes
Explosive! The cancellations are not being made because there are construction sites on the routes, but for cost reasons. According to company sources, the prices for using the route have risen on all three routes. The background to this is the planned increases in track access charges. This is now leading to “market displacement” in long-distance transport, the railway manager writes in the letter.
At the same time, the railway wants to send fewer ICE trains to Stralsund on the Baltic Sea. In the off-season, the service is to be greatly reduced. This would also have an impact on prices, because if the service is spread over fewer trains, the prices automatically increase. Apparently, the railway also wanted to reduce the intercity connection between Dresden and Rostock. State politicians intervened and were able to prevent these plans, according to “Spiegel”
Prices for bus routes are rising
For travelers, the loss of the popular intercity lines means one thing above all: higher costs and less comfort.
The alternatives? Not really tempting. The expansion of ICE connections to certain regions sounds good, but it does not mean that these trains will stop everywhere the canceled ICEs did. And while long-distance buses could offer a cheaper alternative, price increases are to be expected here too – not to mention longer journey times and less comfort.
Travellers in eastern Germany are facing a particularly tough nut to crack, as they must expect significant restrictions in rail traffic.